Machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shem; 1. J. GUSTAPSON. TYPE SETTING MACHINE.

Patented June 2, 1891.

M. a a M 6 O H a (No Model.) I v 3 Sheets-Sheet a. J. GUSTAFSON. TYPE SETTING MACHINE. No. 453,257. Patented June 2, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

JOHN GUSTAFSON, OF ROOKAIVAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GARDINER G. HUBBARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TYPE-SETTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,257, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed January 20, 1891- Serial No. 378,442. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- which can be operated by the hand of the Be it known that I, JOHN GUsTAFsoN, a citicompositor, and which will with certainty and zen of the United States, and a resident of precision set the type properly in the com- Rockaway, Morris county, New Jersey, have posing-stick as fast as the compositor using invented a new and useful Improvement in his right and left hands alternately can de- 55 Type-Setting Machines, which improvement posit them (without regard to the position of is fully set forth in the following specificathe nick) in the hopper or receptacle provided tion. for the purpose.

The present invention relates to the con- To render such a machine practically and struction of machinesfor composing or setcommercially successful, the following con- 60 ting type, and particularly to that form of ditions are deemed essential or important machine which manipulates ordinary type, and are provided by the present invention: such as are in universal use. Machines of First, themechanismshould beextremely simthis character as heretofore constructed have ple and so constructed as to give rise to no required power for their operation and are difficulties in management and not to be lia- 65 somewhat costly and complicated. For an ble to derangement in the hands of operators example of such a machine reference maybe unaccustomed to mechanical contrivances; had to Letters Patent No. 427,685, granted to second, it should be small in size, so as not to me May 13, 1890. interfere with the operators use of his case,

The presence of shafts and belting in the and of little weight, so as to be conveniently 7o composing-room of a printing establishment carried from place to place; third, it should is not desirable and often is difficult to obrequire a very slight expefiditure of strength tain. Moreover, it is evident upon reflection in its operation, so as not to entail additional that, since the rapidity of the operation must fatigue; fourth, the power should be derived depend upon the quickness of the composiin such manner as to require of the operator 75 tors eye and hand in reading his copy, seizno movements or maneuvers additional to ing the proper type, and depositing it in the those usual in composing or which would direceptacle of the machine, the gain in speed vert his attention from the operation of setthat can be effected by a'power-driven mating type.

0 chine is not productive of a gain in the oper- I-Ieretoforein constructing machines of this 80 ation of composing after the limit of speed sort it has been deemed essential to provide which the compositors skill determines has mechanism for reversing such type as might been passed. The transfer of the copy to be thrown into the hopper wrong end up. type necessarily requires a mental and a man- This mechanism constituted a large portion ual operation for each individual character, of the machine and demanded for its opera- 85 and'this fact fixes a practical limit to the adtion the major part of the power used in drivvantage derivable from type-setting or coming the same. It is found that the gain in posing machines of every sort. It follows speed effected by this mechanism is very that the greatest room forindustrial improveslight and that it can be omitted with de- 40 ment in this art lies not in the direction of cided advantage. In composing, the operator 9o expediting the machine operations, butin renecessarily throws his eye to the box conducing, so far as possible, the cost and comtaining the letter his hand is about to grasp plexity of the mechanical devices which perand singles out the most prominent type. form all the steps of the operation except This is part of his training, andin graspingit those which actually require and employ the he loses little or no time in taking it by the 5 intelligence and manual dexterity of the comface end. The operation that creates delay positor. Y in transferring the type from its box to its This is the general object of the present inproper position in the stick is the turning of vention; and, more specifically, its object is to the type so that it will stand nick out.

produce a type-setting or composing machine This operation, moreover, is one for which the ion left hand is not adapted. According to the present invention, therefore, the only opera tion to he performed is to transfer the type from the outlet of the hopper to the stick and during this movement to turn it so that its nicked side will be exposed. This turning is effected by a series of trippers, as heretofore. The construction of the trippers, however, has been greatly simplified. Heretofore the type was fed past the entire series of trippers at a single motion, and consequently at high speed. To avoid as much as possible the excessive wear and injury to the type incurred by striking with considerable force against the corner of the tripping-teeth, the latter were necessarily made quite thick, so as to distribute the pressure and shock over a considerable length of the type. Using a tooth much wider than the nick, it had to be pivoted so as to swing in and out of operating position, according as the type required to be turned or not, and to actuate the tripping-tooth a controlling device was provided, which was acted upon by the type in advance of the tripper to throw out the latter when the type came with one of the three plane sides out. To keep proper pressure on the type while undergoing these operations required a comparatively powerful spring, which was also needed to prevent the type from turning more than a quarter when it encountered a tripping-tooth at the rate of speed given to it. To overcome the resistance thus produced demanded considerable power, and this fact alone would render impracticable the employment of such a system of trippers in a hand composing-machine.

According to the present invention the type, instead of being carried at a single rapid movement through the entire tripping system, comes to a stop just in front of each tripping-tooth. Consequently it is acted upon by the latter just as its advance motion begins and its momentum is at the minimum. The removal of complicated mechanism which this change renders possible permits the location of the trippers much closer together than heretofore. The motion of the type at each feed is one-half an inch, or less than one-sixth of the motion of the previous machine. The difference in speed is still greater. For these reasons a very light spring will hold the tripper in action against the type, and the width of the tripping-tooth can be reduced so that it will lie in the nick of the type, and it thus becomes possible to employ tripping-teeth which are rigidly fixed to their support.

For the purpose of moving the feed-slide against the slight resistance offered by a sys tem of trippers such as above described very little power is required. This is furnished by a hand-lever, which the compositor presses in one direction each time he deposits atype and which is returned by a spring. This lever stands just behind the funnel or hopper, and has two branches projecting, respectively, on opposite sides thereof. As the compositors hand (either right or left) brings a type from the case to the hopper his disengaged fingers (which in ordinary composing are not used) encounter either the right or left branch of the lever and press the latter toward him, thus making a feed. The form and relative position of the lever and hopper are such that when the former reaches its stop the fingers holding the type will be just above the hopper. The lever thus guides the hand to the hopper, and in practice it is not necessary for the compositor to glance at the hopper at all. The work of depressing the lever is not more fatiguing than operating the keys of a typewriter, and the movement is easier. As the compositor uses both hands and arms alike, his position is much less constrained and awkward than in ordinary composing.

The present invention includes improvements in the feed-slide and means for guiding the same and improvementsin the means for actuating the alarm-signal, as well as certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

The several improvements combined and organized as herein shown and described constitute a complete composing or type-setting machine, whose extreme length, including the composing-stick, is under nine inches, and which weighs complete about one and onehalf pound.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, represent a machine constructed in accordance with the in vention.

Figure I is a plan View; Fig. II, a front elevation; Fig. III, a top view showing the position of the parts when the actuating-lever is moved forward. Fig. IV is a rear view of the machine reversed. Fig. V is a detail of the bell movement; Fig. VI, details of the guide-' grooves; Fig. VII, details of the funnel and connected parts; Fig. VIII, adetail of thegate opening to the composing-stick; Figs. IX and X, details of the trippers; Fig. XI, a detail of the guide-pin; Fig. XII, a detail of parts beneath the funnel, and Fig. XIII a detail of the feeding devices.

The various devices are supported by a back plate A, which is designed to be fixed by screws to the front bar of the ordinary composing-frame directly under the space-box. To this support is attached a plate 13, inclined from the horizontal. The attachment is offeeted by means of a screw a, passing through a slot in the vertical flange B of plate B and tapped into the support A. Plate B can thus be adjusted with reference to its support for the purposes hereinafter described.

Upon plate B are two upright parallel bars C D, which constitute the sides of the composing'stick. The bar 0 is adj ustably secured to the plate B by means of screws 0, so that the width of the column can be varied. The side or ledge E, along which the type is fed toward the composing-stick, is fastened to the back plate A by means of screw-pins d e.

The feed-slide F is made of sheet metal so as to push forward the type when the slide moves tothe left. Fingers g are, as shown, made in one piece with the slide, and they serve to give to the type its first motion, carrying it out from under the funnel-shaped receptacle or hopper G, in which it is placed by,

hand. The extremities g of the slide give the type its last movement. Hopper G is supported in a socket H, attached to the screwpin d.

I is the operating-lever by which the feedslide is reciprocated. Its shape resembles a letter Y, and,being placed just infront'of hopperG,itstwobranches,whichareprovidedwith pads or cushions I, lie in the way of the compositors fourth and little fingers as he carries the type from the case to the hopper. Lever I is fulcrumed on a pin 71., carried by a bracket 2', attached to the fixed sill E, and a spring j, coiled around pin h, maintains the lever normally in the position shown in Fig. I. Motion is communicated to the feed-slide through an elbow or bell-crank lever, which is fulcrumed on the upright screw-pin 6. One arm is of thislever is connected to a link K, whose other end connects with the operatinglever I. The connections of the extremities of link K are by ball-and-socket joints. The other arm 70 of said lever is pivoted to the end of a link L, whose other end is pivotally attached to the feed-slide F.

When,in the act of depositing a type in the hopper, the compositor moves leverI forward, the feed-slide F moves toward the composingstick, carrying the type forward one step. At the end of this motion the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. III. When the compositor removes his fingers from the leverlto take up another type, spring j returns the lever and feed-slide to their normal positions.

hen the feed-slide returns for another feed, it describes a curve, so that its fingers f 9 may clear the type then in transit to the composing-stick. The motions of the slide are controlled by the spring guide-pins Z and the grooves or guideways mm in the ledge or sill E, (see Fig. V1,) by which the pins are confined and guided. In moving to the left that is, in making a feed-the pins Z follow the straight grooves m, and in returning they follow the curved grooves m. The construction of the pins Z is shown in Fig. XI. Each pin has a rounded head, which runs in the groove, and a stem,which enters a hollow pillar Z on the feed-slide F andbears at its upper end against the head of a similar pin n, around whose shank is coiled a small spiral spring n. In order that the pins Z may be switched from the straight into the curved grooves, and vice versa, a step is formed at theintersection of these grooves at each end that is to say, the straight groove m is inclined upward, being lower at its first end and higher at its last end than the curved groove m, whose bottom is in a horizontal plane. Consequently pins Z must take the straight groove in advancing and the curved groove in returning.

When the type falls into the hopper, it comes to rest upon the top of plate B. The lower end of the type is then confined on one side by the curved end of a bar 0, fixed to screw-pin O by a set-screw and adjustable vertically thereon,'and on the other side by a light spring 0. The upper end of the type is confined by the walls of the funnel G and by a swinging gate L, carried by an arm M, attached to screw-pin d, and closed by a small spring N. This gate is opened as the feedslide advances by a cam or lug P, carried by link L, which passes behind a projecting part L of said gate, swinging the latter forward, and returning passes in front of and out of contact with the gate. (See Fig. VII.)

The turning of the type to the proper position-that is, with the nicked side out or awayfrom the operator-is effected by means of three trippers R R R Figs. IX and X. These trippers are in the form of curved fingers pivoted on pins r, attached to a horizontal flange of the back plate A and pressed by means of small springs 19 against the ledge or sill E, so as to exert a light pressure upon the type as it is fed along. Each fingeris provided with a tooth q, projecting into the path of one of the nicks of the type, so as to trip the type and cause it to make a quarter-turn, except when the nicked side is presented toward the tooth,in which case the latter fits in the nick and does not act. On the trippers R R the teeth are fixed; but the tooth g on the third tripper It is adjustable, so as to project a greater or less distance from the finger R This adjustment is necessary because the nicks of diiferent fonts of type vary in depth. The teeth g on the first two trippers need to project only a very slight distance to insure their action; but the third tooth q should be adjusted so as to project a distance equal to the depth of the nicks. The reason is that when the first two trippers are required to actthey have a straight edge or corner of the type presented to them; but

when the third tripper is required to act the type is always presented with its nicked side forward, and the tooth consequently has a curved or notched edge to act against instead R and the extent of the projection of the tooth may therefore be regulated by tightening or loosening the adj usting-screw s.

S is a holding-finger, similar in construction to the fingers R, but without any tripping-tooth.

S is a gate, which the type pushes asidein entering the composing stick, and which springs back after the type passes, Fig. VIII.

T is a lever pivoted on the screw-pin d and pressed by a spring t toward the composingstick. It carries a spring arm T, which presses lightly against the type .as they rest against the rule U. Lever T can be swung out against the pressure of its springt to give access to the type for the purposes of j nstifying, as shown in Fig. III. When swung out to the limit of its motion, it will remain in that position, being held by the pin t,'which Uforms a continuation of the sill E. It is held in place at one end by a little groove in the edge of the sill and at the other by the spring-latch o. It can be removed by lifting it up, so as to admit the line of type into the space in front of it.

V is a friction-block which can slide in the composing-stick to accommodate additional lines of type.

Heretofore the alarm-bell has been actuated by causing the line of type to forceback the hammer against its spring until a certain point was reached, when the hammer fell. Such construction offered considerable resistance to the movement of the type, which in the present machine is avoided.

According to this invention the holding-lever '1, when swung back into place after the line has been jnstified, retracts the bell-hammer until engaged by a dog or catch, and a very slight touch from the first of the line of type serves to trip the hammer and sound the bell. These devices are shown in Figs. II, IV, and V. The bell-hammer 10 is pivoted at 11 to the under side of plate B and has a heel 12, in which is a small notch 13.

15 is a lever pivoted on pin 16 and connected by a link 17 with the hammer 10. The latter connection is by a slot and pin. By turning lever 15 slightly on its center the hammer 10 is raised against its spring 20 until riotch 13 is caught by the end of a dog 18, which is also pivoted on pin 16 and is controlled by a light spring 19. \Vhen lever 15 moves away from the bell, the dog 18 is compelled to follow by the contact therewith of pin 21. the dog 18 from notch 13, allowing the hammer to fall.

The motions to the bell movement are communicated by a bent finger 23, connected to lever 15 by a screw-pin 24, passing through a slot in the finger and a slot in the lever. These slots intersect, so that the finger 23 can be adjusted in the direction of the types movement and also transversely thereto. The

tooth q of tripper-arm R.

This reverse movement withdrawsformer adjustment is to cause the ringing of the bell at a longer or shorter time before com pletion of a line and the latter to provide for the tripping of the hammer by type of difiercnt thickness. When the holding-lever T is swung back to place, a depending bracket 25, fixedthereto,pushesbackthefinger23,thereby turning lever 15 and raising thebel-l-hammer. The end of finger 23 which overlies plate B has an inclined edge, and as the first type of the advancing line acts upon it lever 15 begins to turn in the reverse direction. The bell-hammer 10 does not partake of this motion of the lever, because of the slot in link 17; but when lever 15 has turned so far as to withdraw the dog 18 from notch 13 the hammer 1O falls upon the bell 28 and gives notice that the line is nearly completed.

As already stated, the plate B is adj ustably connected with support A by a set-screw a.

This adjustment is provided in order that the machine may accommodate itself to different fonts of type. the type rests on plate B, and to adjust the machine initially it isonly necessary for the compositor to take one of the type he is about to use and raise or lower plate B until the teeth of the trippers register with one of the nicks.

In operation the compositor seizes the type, as is customary, between the thumb and forefinger by the face end and brings it to the hopper. In this movement (whether of the right or left hand) his disengaged fingersencounter the lever I and press it toward himself nntil the limit of its movement is reached, at which time the type will come in contact with the front wall of the hopper. He then releases the type and lever, the latter dropping to the plate B and the former swinging back to its first position. At the next movement of the lever, when the feed-slide advances, the cam or lug P on link L opens gate L, and fingers 9 feed the type forward along sill E, leaving it just in front of the The next feed carries it past this tooth, by which it will be tripped unless the nick side be already turned out. Thus the type advances by a separate movement past each tripper until finally it is pushed by the end g of the feedslide F past the gate S into the composingstick. Vhen the line is full, of which due notice is given by the alarm-bell, the compositor swings out the holding-lever T, thus exposing the type in a position convenient for justifying. When this has been done, he lifts out the rule U, drops it behind the line just completed, and brings back lever T. In so doing lever T presses the rule until it snaps into place behind the spring-latch, the friction-block V yielding sufficiently to ad mit the newly-completed line of type. The

same motion of lever T resets the bell-hammer, and the apparatus is now in position to proceed with setting the next line.

Having now fully described the principles During its entire movementof my said invention and explained the best means which I contemplate for applying the same, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a composing-machine, the combination, with a receptacle for type and with devices for turning the type on its longitudinal axis, of an actuating-lever pivoted in proximity to said receptacle, so as to be readily operated in the act of depositing a type, substantially as described.

2. In a composing-machine, the combination of a receptacle for type and an act'uat ing-lever pivoted adjacent to said receptacle in position to be struck by the hand in the act of carrying a type to said receptacle, substantially as described.

3. In a composing-machine, the combination of a receptacle for type, feeding devices, and an actuating-lever pivoted behind said receptacle and having two branches on the right and left thereof, respectively, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the feeding devices, the receptacle, a pivoted gate closing the receptacle on the side toward which the type is to be fed, and a lug or cam for opening said gate as the feeding devices advance, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the feed-slide or carrier having fingers for advancing the type, a guide-pin carried by said slide, and a fixed ledge or sill provided with guideways in which said pin travels, the retur'n-guideway being curved to deflect the feed-slide and its fingers out of the path of the type, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the reciprocatory feed-slide or carrier provided with a spring guide-pin, of a fixed sill having a direct and a return guide-groove, which grooves meet at their extremities, with their bottoms in different planes, forming steps to switch the guidepin from one groove to the other, substantially as described.

7. In a composing-machine, the combination of a series of trippers for acting successively upon' the type and an intermittentlyacting feed for carrying the type by successive motions past the several trippers, substantially as described.

8. In a composing-machine, the combination, with a series of trippers for acting successively upon the type, of a series of feedfingers, one for each tripper, and means, such as specified, for actuating said fingers to carry the type by successive movements past the several trippers, substantially as described.

D. The combination of a series of trippers for acting successively upon the type, amovable slide or carrier having a series of feeding-fingers, one for each tripper, and actuating mechanism, such as specified, for moving said slide or carrier intermittently a distance approximately equal to the space between successive trippcrs, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the type-feeding devices, of a series of tripping-teeth projecting into the path of the type in the line of one of the nicks, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the type-feeding devices, of a series of trippers, each composed of a narrow tooth rigidly attached to a yielding support and projecting into the path of the type in line with one of the nicks, substantially as described.

12. In a composing-machine, the combination of a hopper or receptacle, a feed-slide or carrier provided with a series of feeding-fingers, tripping-teeth, each projecting from a yielding support into the path of the type, and a hand-lever connected with and actuating said feed-slide or carrier for feeding the type by successive movements past the several trippers, substantially as described.

13. The combination of the trippers carried by astationary support, the type-feeding de vices, and a plate upon which the type rest while being carried past the trippers, said plate being detachably secured to said stationary support and adjustable vertically thereon, substantially as described.

14:. The combination, with type-feeding devices, of a series of trippers comprising each a tooth projecting intothe path of the type from a yielding support, the tooth of the last tripper of the series being adjustably secured to its support, so that the extent of its projection may be varied, substantially as described.

15. The combination of the composing-stick, the rule, the lever for holding the line of type against the rule, the bell-hammer, a dog or catch for engaging a notch on said hammer, connections for raising the hammer when said lever is swung into place, and a finger projecting into the path of the type for tripping said dog or catch and releasing the hammer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN GUSTAFSON.

Vitnesses:

J ONA. B. OILLEY, E. L. WHITE. 

